The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-12-09
SUBSCRIPTION: sl.o0 Per Year.

Il
The hounds are close on the track; it has
leaped chasms and scaled cliffs; it is
tagged outs its eyes are rolling in death;
its tongue Is lolling from its foaming
mouth. Faster the deer, faster the dogs,
until it plunges into Schroon Lake and
the hounds can follow it nc farther, and
it put down its head and mouth until the
nostrn is clean submerged in the cool
wave, and understand it:
AS the hart panteth for the water-broolxs,
so panteth my soul after thee, o, God.
Oh, bring me water from that we'll
little child, who has learned of Jesus in
the Sabbath-school, bring me some of
that living water. Old man, who fifty
years ago didst find the we'll, bring me
some of that water. Stranger in a strange
land, who used to hear sung among the
Highlands of Scotland to the tune of
'iBonnie Doom" "The Star, the Star of
Bethlehem" bring me some of that water.
Whosoever drinketh of that water shall
never thirst.
Oh, that one would give me drink Of the
water of the welI of bethlehem, which is by the
gate.
Again, this Gospel well, like the one
spoken of in the text, is a captured well.
David remembered the time when that
good water of Bethlehem was in the pos
session of his ancestors. His father drank
bered how the water tasted when a boy
and came up there from play.
We never forget the old well we used to
drink out of when we were boys or girls.
There was something in it that blessed the
lips and refreshed the brow better than
any thing we have found since. AS we
think of that dear old we'll the memories
of the past flow into each other like crys-
talline drops, sun -glinted, and all the
,F,at. 1ar, Jz
used to lay hold the rope and the hearts
that beat against the well-curb are still
now. We never get over these REM
iniscences. George p. Morris, the great
song writer of the country, once said
to me that his song, Woodman, Spare
That Tree" was sung in a great concert
hall, and the memories of early life were
so wrought upon the audience by that
song, that after the singing was done an
aged man arose in tho audience over
whelmed with emotion, and said: "Sir,
will you please to tell me whether the
woodman really spared the tree?" We
never forget the tree under which we
played We never forget the fountain at
which we drank. Alas for the man who
has no early memories!
David thought of that well, that boy
hood well, and he wanted drink of it, but
he remembered that the Philistines had
to come up TO the we'll in behalf of David +,
they saw swords cleaning around about
it. And this is true Of this Gospel we'll.
| The Philistnes have at times captured it.
| When we come to take full, old fash
ioned drink of pardon and comfort, do not
their swords of Indignation and sarcasm
flash? Why, the skeptics tell us that we
can not come to this fountain !
They say the water is not fit to
HI -
| thirsty now, there is the we'll
of philosophy, there is the well of art,
there is the well of science" They try to
| substitute, instead of our boyhood faith, a
modern mixture. They say great many
| beautiful things about the soul, and they
try to feed our immortal hunger on rose
| leaves, and mix mint-julep of worldly
| stimulants, when nothing will satisfy us
but
A drink of the water of the well Of Bcthle-
| hem which by the gate.
They try to starve us on husks, when
the Fathers banquet is ready, and the
| best ring is taken from the casket, and
the sweetest harp is struck for the music,
and the swiftest foot is already lifted for
the dance. They patroaize Heaven and
! abolish hellj and try to measure eternity
with their hour-glass aud the throne Of
/ the great God with their yard stick i
abhor it. tell you the old Gospel well 4
a captured well. / pray God that there
may be somewhere in the elect host three
anointed men with courage enough to go
| forth in the strength of the omnipotent
God, with the glittering swords of truth,
to hew the way back again to that old
well.
think the tide is turning, and that the
| old Gospel is to take its place again in the
family, and in the university, and in the
| legislative hall. Men have tried worldly
! PHILOSOPHERS, and have found out that
| they do not give any comfort, and that
| they drop an Arctic midnight upon the
death-pillow. They fail when there is a
dead chill in the house; and when the
soul comes to leap into the fathomless
ocean of eternity, they give TO the man
not so much as a broken spar to cling TO.
| Depend upon 1t that well will come into
our possession again, though it has been
captured. If there be not three anointed
men in the Lords host with consecration
to do the work, then the swords will leap
from Jehovah's bucker, and the eternal
three will descend-God the Father, God
the Son, God the Holy Ghost-eonquerinR
for our dying race the way back again to-
The water OF the well Of Bethlehem, which is
by the gate.
If God be for us, who can be against us7
II God spared not his own son, but freely
gave him up for us all, how shah he not with
For am persuaded that neither height, mol
depth. nor angels, nor prineipalities, moi
powers. nor things present, nor things to come
Shall take from us into final captivity,
the Gospel of my blessed Lord Jesus
Christ.
Again, the Gospel well, like the one
spoken of in my text, Is G we'll at the
gate. The traveller stops the camel to
day and gets down and dips out of the val
ley Of the East some very beautiful, clear
bright water, and that is out Of the very
we'll that David lonRed for. DO you know
that that well was at the gate, so that no
body could go into Bethlehem withou
going right past it, And 50 Il is with
this Gospel well--it Is at the gate. 1t is
ia the first place, at the gate Of puri6ca
tion. We can not wash away our ein
unless with that water. I take gh'
responsf fbility OF saying that there 1
no man, woman or child in thii
house to-day that has escaped sinful de
Element. Do you say It is outrageou
and ungallant for me 10 make such Z
charge? DO you say, 81 have never
stolen-I have never blasphemed-I hay
never committed uuchastity-I have neve
been guilty of murdergv / reply, yoi
have committed a sin worse than bias
phemy, worse than unchastity, wors
than theft, worse than murder. We hav
all committed IL. We have by our sin re
crucified the Lord, and that Is decide
And Il there be any who dare TO pieaS
snot guilty" to the indictment, then th'
! hosts Of Heaven VIII be mpaneled as
Jury 20 render unanimous verde
; against rs. With what a siashing stroke
2 that one passage cuts as away from al
our pretensious:
There is none that doeth aood-no, not one.
: OH saws some one, sall ws want, a
the race wants, i development" Now
want TO tell you that the race develop
without the Gospel into q Sod0ms a Fiv
Points, q Great Salt Lake City. II a
ways develops downward never upward
except as the grace ~ God lays hold o. 4
| when. ther. s. 70 heeome of our soal viii